by Giuseppe Sarcina
The US Secretary of Defense called his Chinese counterpart for the first time: Washington reiterated its warning about aid for Moscow, Beijing its position on Taiwan (“It’s part of China and that will never change”).
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON The Biden administration has been closely monitoring the Chinese government for several weeks. The Pentagon generals fear that Beijing, which has repeatedly reiterated its desire not to break its “unconditional friendship” with Moscow, could stand by Vladimir Putin and, more or less under the table, supply not only weapons but, above all, materiel , Ammunition and spare parts to revive the Russian offensive in Donbass.
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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin openly admitted today, Wednesday April 20, that contacts with the Chinese military colleague have been cut off for several months, more or less since the beginning of the crisis between Washington and Moscow. Lloyd has repeatedly searched for General Xu Qiliang, a senior Chinese Communist Party official in charge of the country’s international and military security. But Xu Qiliang never answered.
So yesterday the head of the Pentagon decided to fall back on the secretary of defense, another general, Wei Fenge. The minimum goal of the Americans was to at least resume dialogue before they started thinking about possible ways out of the war again. However, according to the report on the call released by Beijing, Wei Fenge surprised the interlocutor, who spoke mainly of Taiwan, by saying, “Taiwan is a part of China and nobody can change that fact. If the issue is not properly managed, it could affect ChinaUS relations.”
And for the superpower led by Xi Jinping, “doing right” means only one thing: no “interference” in plans for “motherland” reunification. That’s why Beijing warns the US: Don’t think you can apply the “Ukraine model” to Taiwan by offering other military assets and financial support.
Since 2019, the wealthy government of Taiwan, one of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturers, has bought $14.2 billion worth of arms from the United States. In particular, the order also included 66 F16 jets and components for the Patriot missile defense system. Concern is growing in Washington. As early as midFebruary, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman made it clear at a congressional hearing: “We cannot allow Putin to annex all of Ukraine; it would also give the green light to other such maneuvers ». Everyone understood the reference to Taiwan and China.
April 20, 2022 (change April 20, 2022 | 17:13)
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